PROTEST AGAINST SUDEWO’S 250% PROPERTY TAX HIKE
The protest on Wednesday was sparked by Sudewo’s plan announced in June to increase property taxes by up to 250 per cent in certain areas in the regency only about two months into his term.
He had justified the move by highlighting the regency’s property tax rate that had not been revised since 2011, despite regulations requiring local governments to adjust rates at least once every three years.
Local residents had condemned the tax hike, with many accusing Sudewo of being out of touch for implementing such a steep increase amid a nationwide economic slowdown.
And the following month in July, the regent triggered another controversy with a public statement regarding a planned protest against the tax hike, which was initially set to draw around 5,000 participants.
“Go ahead and protest, whether it’s 5,000 or even 50,000 people, I won’t be afraid,” he had said in July, as quoted by Jakarta Post.
“I will move forward with the tax increase and won’t back down, not even a single step,” he added.
The backlash then made national headlines, according to local media, prompting Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi, Home Minister Tito Karnavian and even Prabowo who leads the Gerindra Party, to urge Sudewo to reconsider the policy.
Under mounting pressure, the 56-year-old regent eventually scrapped the tax hike on Aug 8 and issued a public apology.
But residents continued with the planned protest on Wednesday, demanding his resignation and citing other controversial policies he launched.
Referring to Sudewo’s public statement, Prasetyo, the State Secretary Minister and also Prabowo’s spokesperson, said that the central government has repeatedly urged central and local officials to exercise prudence when speaking to the public.
“This is especially when it comes to communicating policies that will have direct impact on the public,” Prasetyo added, as quoted by Antara.
According to Jakarta Post, some of Sudewo’s controversial policies include his decision to reduce the school week from six to five days, the abrupt dismissal of hundreds of local hospital employees without severance pay and a proposed renovation of a mosque that many residents view as an unnecessary spending, since the mosque had already undergone major repairs just a few years earlier.
To impeach a regent or mayor, at least two-thirds of the regional council members must approve the motion in a plenary session. If the motion passes, the council then submits the impeachment request to the President through the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The case is then reviewed by the Supreme Court, which conducts a substantive judicial review of the charges.
If the court upholds the impeachment, the Ministry of Home Affairs is legally required to dismiss the regional head within 30 days of the court’s ruling.
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